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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. court — of a king
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. kick — in football
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. swing — music
  7. kid — child
  8. swing — to play on
  9. press — a publisher
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. court — for sport
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. swing — in golf
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. press — to push
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. court — of law
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. press — newspapers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com